Britt McHenry, the former ESPN host who was allegedly forced to resign from her role in the Trump administration over a public confrontation with NBA fans, has claimed one made a vile gang rape comment to her.
McHenry had only recently accepted a position as a US State Department press adviser but left her role last week after the explosive dispute at the game between the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks game went viral.
In video obtained by TMZ, McHenry was seen standing up and throwing a drink on a fan sat beside her, before quickly making her way out of the Capital One Arena. She appeared to be targeted by projectiles from other fans sat near her as she exited the arena.
Now she has given her side of the story in a lengthy video posted to Instagram on Wednesday.
McHenry claims she reacted to the male fan’s alleged vulgar comments about Winnie Harlow, the model fiancee of former Wizards star Kyle Kuzma, before he turned his fury on her.
Addressing the incident, she said: ‘It starts with a man in front of us in what looked like a knockoff Patagonia vest yelling horrible things at Kyle Kuzma about Kuzma’s fiancee, who is Winnie Harlow.
Former Trump staffer Britt McHenry has claimed an NBA fan made a gang rape comment to her during their dispute at a Washington Wizards game
The ex-ESPN host was reportedly forced to resign from her role in the Trump administration after the confrontation with NBA fans
‘It was egregiously loud, and quite frankly, not the type of behavior I have seen in the multitude of games I’ve covered as a journalist or been there as a fan. He’s saying things like “Kuzma, you suck because your girl’s hideous,” made comments about her skin condition, said it was like Michael Jackson, said just vile things about her.
‘I then make a snarky comment, probably shouldn’t have, but everyone behind me laughed and just said, “Oh, I’m sure your girlfriend’s really beautiful, right?” Guy in that row, whether he was with that man or not, turns around and says to me, “Why don’t you shut the f*** up, you dumb b****.” To which I say to him, like I wasn’t even talking to you. Who are you? And that’s where it escalates.’
After seeking assistance from an usher, who offered to move McHenry and her friend Andrew to other seats, she insisted they shouldn’t be forced to move and returned.
‘In hindsight, I wish we would have left,’ she said. ‘But they all then start throwing things at me and the main agitator says something truly vile to me about what should be done to me, allegedly about getting gang raped outside, and that is when I threw the rest of my beer in that direction, turned around, and said, “Drew, let’s get out of here.”
‘Once I turned, all of those guys started just pelting us with towels that were given out before the game. They eject the main agitator guy, so they throw him out and I decide to leave.
‘I was sticking up for Winnie Harlow, a woman that I admire, and many women and young girls look up to, and I was sticking up for myself.’
The ordeal comes just over a month after McHenry revealed she had accepted an appointment to serve as a press advisor to the diplomatic agency, working under Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
McHenry announced the move by sharing a picture of herself by the official seal in the Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington.
McHenry says she intervened after overhearing fans making disparaging remarks about Winnie Harlow – fiancée of Bucks star Kyle Kuzma – who has vitiligo
McHenry was working as a press advisor to the diplomatic agency, working under Marco Rubio
‘It is true,’ McHenry wrote on X. ‘I am honored to serve as a newly appointed press advisor to the State Department, our country’s highest diplomatic institution. Proud to serve for and work alongside some truly incredible people.’
Writing in a separate post on LinkedIn, McHenry added: ‘I am beyond excited to start this new chapter today and am thankful to every person who helped me in pursuing and achieving this opportunity.
‘For 17 years, I have worked on camera covering the news. Now, I get to take that experience and apply it to our country’s highest diplomatic agency.
‘As a fellow Floridian, I have followed and admired Secretary Marco Rubio’s political career from its inception to the outstanding leadership he shows today in the Administration,’ McHenry wrote.
‘He has appointed an exceptional staff, and I look forward to serving them and our nation.’
The appointment marks the latest chapter in a turbulent media career that has seen McHenry frequently entangled in high-profile workplace scandals and legal battles.
She spent three years as a Washington DC-based reporter for ESPN before being fired in 2017 during a sweeping round of company layoffs.
During her tenure at ESPN, McHenry made headlines in 2015 when she was suspended after security footage caught her berating a towing company clerk.
She later issued an apology, admitting that she ‘allowed my emotions to get the best of me’ during an intense moment.
Following her ESPN exit, McHenry transitioned toward right-wing political commentary, making appearances on Fox News Media and Fox 5 DC.
